Fred Frith (born February 17 1949) is an English musician and composer. He is brother of Chris Frith, a psychologist working at University College London.

He primarily performs on guitar, producing an innovative series of experimental Guitar Solos albums during the 1970s. He also plays bass guitar, violin and xylophone. He was a founder member of British avant-garde progressive rock bands Henry Cow and Art Bears. While living in New York City he formed two improvising groups in the early 1980s, Massacre and Skeleton Crew. He has collaborated with Robert Wyatt, Brian Eno, Lars Hollmer, The Residents, Lol Coxhill, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Derek Bailey, Rova and others. Frith has also made two records with experimental group French Frith Kaiser Thompson (consisting of John French, Frith, Henry Kaiser, and Richard Thompson).

He is a professor of the Music Department at Mills College, Oakland, California.

Films

• CH 1990 Film by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel Fred Frith